


Eddie looks away

by frostedemmy



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Aged-Up Losers Club (IT), Alternate Universe - College/University, Drunk Eddie Kaspbrak, Drunk Richie Tozier, First Kiss, First Meetings, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21725356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostedemmy/pseuds/frostedemmy
Summary: Bill and Ben take Eddie to a college party where he meets an obnoxious boy named Richie.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 1
Kudos: 123





	Eddie looks away

Eddie didn’t even _want_ to come to the party in the first place. He would have been perfectly content staying home and studying for finals next week. But Ben was supposed to meet up with a girl he had just started seeing, and Bill didn’t want to be ditched at the party. Eddie could never say no to Bill anyways. No one really could.

The thing was though, that Eddie knew that’s not the real reason Bill convinced him to go out. He’s been worried about him, so has Ben. Over the last few months Eddie has stopped taking the medication he doesn’t actually need, told his mom off for it, and come out as gay to Ben and Bill. He also broke up with Myra but that kind of goes along with the gay thing. Plus, she sucked so it wasn’t really a big deal. But all these changes have taken their toll, and he still hasn’t come out to his mom. Eddie never partied all that much to begin with, but lately he hasn’t been doing anything with them, and it’s the end of the semester. They need to celebrate and it’s just a plus if Bill and Ben could get Eddie to have a little fun.

So here Eddie was, standing at the threshold of more than just a party. He hated it. He hated how Ben and Bill were stood on either side of him, pretending they’re not watching over him like he’s about to break. He feels like he’s back in high school with his mom monitoring him for any sign of weakness. He thought he would feel strong after he let go of the medicine and got out of his mother’s harsh grasp, but he just feels weaker than ever.

They’ve come pretty late, the party is already in full swing, today was the last day of classes and drunk college students are dancing and drinking like maniacs. Their trio makes its way to through until they’re stopped by a grinning red head.

“Ben!” the girl, Beverly, Eddie assumes, throws her arms around Ben and kisses his cheek. Eddie looks away, the intimacy of the moment suddenly making him feel out of place.

“These are my friends Bill and Eddie.” Eddie looks back and Ben is blushing. He forces himself to smile at Beverly but she’s already hugging him. He pats her back awkwardly before she releases him and hugs Bill.

“Hi, I’m Bev. I’ve heard so much about you guys, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” She smiles at them and Eddie can’t help but like her a little, if not just because of the way Ben is looking at her.

Again, left uncomfortable by the affection in the air, Eddie looks for a way out. “Hey, do you know where I can get a drink?” If he has to stay here until Bill and Ben want to leave, he’s going to get drunk.

“Oh! Richie’ll show you, he just finished his.” Bev turns and pulls on a boy’s sleeve. His back was to them and Eddie didn’t notice him until now. Black, curly hair turns to reveal thick glasses perched on a crooked nose. A lazy grin is plastered to his face and he’s clearly a bit inebriated. He’s tall. And cute. Eddie looks away. “Richie take Eddie to get a drink. And get me one too.”

“Sure thing Bevvy, I’ll take good care of him.” Bill Nudged Eddie with his shoulder. Eddie sighed and nodded at him to tell him he’ll be fine. He forces himself to look at Richie again. Yep still cute. Richie throws himself into a kneel at Eddie feet and holds up his hand dramatically. “Eds, I will be your guide, your humble servant, if you’ll have me that is.” He looks up at Eddie above his glasses and Eddie wants to die.

He kicks him instead. “Just show me where the drinks are idiot. And my name is Eddie.” If Eddie thought this would put off Richie, he was wrong. If anything, Richie seems encouraged as he springs up and takes Eddie’s hand, leading him away from the others.

“Sure thing Eds. Right this way.” Eddie wrenches his hand out of Richie’s grasp and crosses his arms before following. Richie brightens at this and starts walking backwards so he can look at Eddie. “I’m glad you’re here Eds, now I don’t have to watch Bevvy and Benny suck face all night like last time. Actually, now that I think about it maybe Benny-Boy felt bad, so he brought me something cute to look at. Not that seeing their tongues rub against each other doesn’t do it for me, because it does, but you’re definitely a better sight to look at. I mean look at that face. Cute, cute, cute.”

Eddie sputters and feels himself go red. Who is this crude offensive boy? He called Eddie _cute._ Who just says things like that? Eddie didn’t like feeling flustered. Good thing they were at the drink table. Eddie grabs a cup and starts filling it, “I just told you my name is Eddie dipshit, not Eds.” Eddie moves to the side to lean against the wall and takes a big swig, scrunching up his face at the taste. When he looks up again, it’s at Richie leaning next to him with two cups in his hands. Eddie tries not to let his eyes linger too long on the way his long fingers wrap around the cups. Why are his hands pretty too? Life is unfair and the joke is on Eddie.

“You’re cute too you know.” Eddie didn’t mean to say it. And he certainly didn’t mean for it to come out as angrily and annoyed as it did. But Richie just laughs.

“Be still my beating heart!” Richie dons an atrocious southern belle accent and fans himself, spilling one of the drinks. Without thinking, Eddie grabs onto his wrist to steady his hand.

“Fucking idiot.” Richie is staring at him in a way that makes Eddie’s stomach flip. Eddie panics. He drops his wrist. “I’m not flirting with you. I have a girlfriend.” He hates himself as soon as he says it. His face screws up into a wince. Richie ‘s eyebrows scrunch together in confusion and a little disappointment, but he still mainly just looks amused. It’s like amused is his only goddamn expression.

“Oh, thank you for clarifying, I was halfway to whipping your dick out right into my mouth.” Richie is still looking at him and Eddie wants the floor to open up and swallow him up. Why the fuck would he tell him he has a girlfriend?

“Well Eddie, I hate to leave you when things were just getting hot, but I have to bring this to my fair maiden,” he jostles one of the cups. He drops the teasing tone to say, “Find me later?” His eyes look so earnest, like he actually wants Eddie to look for him. Eddie nods, a bit dazed at the way nothing he does has seemed to make Richie want to run from him. That’s a first.

It’s been about an hour since Eddie met Richie. He’s been drinking excessively since in an effort to dull the effect the lanky boy is having on him. He left his wall corner spot only once to look for Bill, but once he saw Ben and Bev making out on a stained dirty couch he went back to the sanctuary of his spot. But now he’s feeling dizzy, very drunk and very dizzy. The thought of sitting on that couch, or any seat in this dirty house has Eddie gagging, so he makes his way out the back door. And there he is. Richie.

He’s sitting on the steps, long, black jean adorned, legs spread out in front of him. Just the sight of him fills Eddie with anger. It’s like everything he’s been avoiding feeling since he came out and since he had it out with his mom has been wrapped up into the form of a 6’2 boy who talks too much. Eddie stomps his way over to him, with minimal stumbling thank you very much, and plops down next to him, huffing in annoyance.

Richie is holding a joint between two of his fingers. “Eds! You found me. I was starting to think maybe I dreamt you up. Should’ve known my mind could never invent something so fucking cute-”

“Can I have a hit?” Eddie interrupts. He needs to do something with his hands otherwise he might do something stupid like grab Richie’s dumb face and _squeeze_. Richie’s ever-present grin widens, and he holds out the joint for Eddie.

“Um, how do I…?” Eddie has never smoked anything before in his life.

“Have you never smoked before?”

“Well up until very recently I thought I would fucking drop dead if I ever did so no I have never smoked before. I’ve never done a lot of things.” _Like kiss a boy. Like kiss you._ Eddie’s drunk mind thinks before he can reel in his line of thoughts.

Instead of asking him to elaborate, Richie simply scoots in closer. Eddie’s torn between gratitude that he let him off the hook, and the urge to squirm away from where Richie’s arm is pressing against his own. _There’s nothing wrong with this. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be this close._

“Do you want me to show you how?” Richie’s voice has dropped to a quieter tone than Eddie’s heard all night, one that Eddie didn’t know the loud obnoxious boy was even cabable of. It raises goosebumps on Eddie’s arms. He nods.

Richie’s eyes flit between Eddie’s before bringing the joint up between them. “Okay, breathe it in when I hold up my hand.” Richie takes a long drag from the joint and makes his fist into a funnel, with one end against his own lips. He nods towards Eddie.

The alcohol making him brave, Eddie opens his mouth and lightly pressed his lips to Richie’s hand. The smoke funnels through and Eddie breathes it in. He feels warmth spread down his throat and through his chest. Richie moves his hand away but doesn’t lean back. They’re faces are so close, Eddie can feel Richie’s hallowed breathing against his own mouth.

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Eddie blurts out and immediately curses his knee-jerk reactions ruining whatever tension was fizzling the air between them.

Richie leans back with a laugh. “I know.”

Eddie falters, “Wha-, you know? How could you possibly know?”

Richie takes another drag, facing forward again and the smoke flows out of this mouth as he speaks. “Your buddy Big Bill told me.” He eyes Eddie to the side. “I think he took pity on me as I whined to Bev about how the cutest boy at the party was straight AND tied down. But Bill said you and your GF are donzo, but that it’s sorta recent.” There’s a question somewhere in there but Eddie is too drunk to sus it out or to be subtle.

He looks at his hands in his lap, “I’m not. Tied down that is.” He takes a steadying breath and looks back up at the infuriatingly beautiful boy who seems, for some reason, to be interested in him. “Or straight for that matter.” There it was. The third person Eddie has come out to. A random drunk boy at a party.

“ _Oh_ , fucking thank God! Not that I believe in God, unless you do of course because then I’m an absolute _devout_ Christian.” Richie waves his hands as he rants. “Has anyone ever told you that you could be a cult leader? Because I’m pretty sure those eyes could convince me of anything. I mean seriously look-”

Eddie grabs one of his hands out of the air, and that seems to shut him up. He still adds a “Richie shut the fuck up,” for good measure though. Eddie prayed his face wasn’t as red as he thinks it is.

Richie smiled dopily at him, shifting closer again. “Sure thing Eds.” He spoke softly, leaning towards him. Eddie braced himself.

The kiss was soft and tentative. Everything Eddie hates. Everything Richie is the opposite of. _He’s afraid of scaring me off_. Eddie thought. _I’ll show him I’m not scared._

Eddie slid his fingers up into Richie’s hair and tried to pull him closer, but he just ended up falling against him. Their teeth smashed together, and it was awkward and painful for a second. Then Richie moved his hands from Eddie’s waist down and hoisted him up onto his lap. _Yes_ , Eddie thought, legs straddling Richie’s, _this is what I’ve been missing. This is who I’ve been waiting for._


End file.
